Search Your San Jose Hotels

Hotel Balmoral charges you in full on your first day and will not allow for any subsequent changes. I reserved for 10 days and was told by management that they would only issue a voucher credit to be used within the next 30 days. This policy should be stated upfront so people making reservations know all terms. Tourism business is down and they appear desperate for business but their policies prevent you from ever returning again. This establishment appears only willing to provide discounts and incentives solely to the hispanic community.

I had a 5 star experience here for 8 nights and enjoyed a beautiful room overlooking the golf course and mountains. The room service was exceptional particularly the quesadilla and the pasta dishes. The pools were sensational and even tho it was packed there was plenty of room for everyone. The spa was well worth it (ask for Laura) she is the best! I had great housekeeping from Maria on the fifth floor and my favorite bellman was a gentleman named Carlos. Everyone was very friendly and when there were any issues at checkout or checkin they were resolved quickly by the excellent customer support team of Caleb, Jackeline & Gianina all of whom provided impeccable service.

We stayed twice at Bougainvillea, 3 nights at the start of our birding tour, and one night at the end. It is a great introduction to Costa Rica and birding. We really loved the garden out the back, which had plenty of new birds for us. The buffet breakfast in the morning was probably the best on our trip (the only one that had a good muesli for me!) and the restaurant catered well for gluten free and vegetarian diets, with enough variety when staying a couple of days. The sandwiches are highly recommended. The rooms are spacious. There is a security box that works, and WiFi is flawless. There is a fan in the rooms but no air conditioning, and on the hot days we were there I did find the rooms a little too hot in the evenings when trying to sleep. It does cool down to around 20 degrees overnight, but that is a little hot for me. Service from all staff was excellent. They do money exchange at reception and help organise taxis for going in to San Jose. This hotel is very popular with western birders arriving in the country and it lives up to its reputation. Highly recommended.

Very nice hotel. Wonderful staff from front desk to housekeeping and breakfast, all were very friendly and helpful. The breakfast buffet was great, many options to choose from and I especially liked the Cafe Britt machine with its plethora of options. My cortados were so good, I ended up purchasing from Cafe Britt when we returned home! The hotel is within close walking distance of many shops and restaurants. We stopped by the Tap House next door for a very enjoyable dinner and enjoyed the various events taking place right outside of the hotel. Just a warning, the hotel can be tricky to find if you're not familiar with the area. You can only seem to enter the parking lot from one side which means taking a right turn just past the Volvo dealership. It looks like you're pulling into a parking garage but you'll see a small sign for the hotel on your left. There is a small parking area for the hotel but if there are no open spaces, you park at the AC Marriott hotel and they'll stamp your card from the front desk so you don't have to pay.

Undiscovered gem of a hotel near San Pedro. Pros: We were looking for a place on the lower end of the price spectrum that was a one night romantic getaway for two, that I could also use my free trip coins at toward the cost of the room. Preferably including breakfast and a swimming pool with jacuzzi 😉 Not much to ask! We booked one of the cheaper rooms on the ground floor. Before check in we took an Uber to San Pedro mall to do some essential shopping and see a movie. Then we checked in and I relaxed in the jacuzzi under the San José night sky while my husband enjoyed a full workout in the gym/weights room. TV with cable was great for my husband who enjoyed the football while I enjoyed the hot shower and relaxed in the bed afterwards. We had an amazingly comfortable sleep and a delicious breakfast in the morning of gallo pinto, fresh tropical fruits, freshly squeezed watermelon juice and hot coffee. A generous check out time of 12pm meant we had more than enough time to get our things together and leave when it suited. Cons: Not many cons at this price point and value. The guy at the desk was a bit weird when we asked him for a second glass for water as there was only one in the room but not a big deal. We also had to ask him for the TV remote. The towels were a bit small like a mini dress on me after my shower. But good quality (with a third extra towel for the jacuzzi) and high quality bed linen. It also is in a slightly rough looking neighborhood but this is not a problem if you travel to and from the hotel by Uber or use a hire car (which you can park privately inside the property). Overall impression: The other photos on trip.com and similar booking sites do not do this hotel justice - it looks far better in person. It has real character since it is a restored historic hotel from an era bygone, but that is why everything is such high quality from the bed linen to the floor tiles. Everything is also in good shape and freshly painted. There a little hidden nooks around the hotel that make it very charming. The breakfast area is lovely and the jacuzzi, pool and water slide were a real highlight. We WILL be back.

This was our first stop in Costa Rica and we knew it wasn't the best area of San Jose (so if you go out book a taxis especially at night). Reception were friendly and helpful and we were quickly settled into our room 110 on ground floor (looking into the middle of the court yard area (away from any road noise). Room was basic but had everything we needed, shower was good, bottled water in room and bed was comfy. We ate the first night in the hotel and the food was fine (see pic), plenty of choice. Ignore their website re meal times as evening meals were available (6.30 to 9pm). Breakfast was a standard CR offering but was fine and reasonable options. I believe it started at 6.30am? We got a takeaway breakfast on 2nd day as we left at 6am which was fine. Good stay overall and the hotel did everything you could have expected of them.

I’ve stayed in a ton of low-budget hotels and hostels, but this is the first time I’ve ever just swallowed the money that I pre-paid for a place and left for a different hotel. I know you get what you pay for - in this case a really basic room with one tiny bedside lamp in a seedy part of town, and we were ok with that, but the room just reeked. After opening the windows and it not getting any better, I went back downstairs and quietly asked if we could see another room if one was available. The desk guy had a long conversation with the manager in the office behind, took another key and followed me back to the room to check. “It could just be the cleaning product we use in all the bathrooms” he said. “I’m pretty sure it’s more than that - it’s really bad” I said. “You can feel it burning in your throat”. “I’m sorry, the manager told me you could not see another room”, he replied, and left still holding the key to a different room in his hand. My friend then went to check out the shared bathrooms on the floor. “They smell fine” he said. So I booked a room in another place nearby (Fleur de Lys - a bit more expensive but clean, comfortable, with a super friendly front desk). As we were waiting with our bags back down to the lobby, the desk guy eventually appears again, with a reluctant “You don’t have to go, I will show you the other room.” Ugh. Finally, you have to be both buzzed into the place and buzzed out, and if the front desk guy is off doing something else, be prepared to wait. And wait... Pretty sad place.

We need to make an appointment for the hotel's pick-up service. The Ctrip housekeeper will contact the hotel. The hotel said that the guests must call by themselves. The hotel did not provide a mailbox. We called in the past by a recorded call and told the hotel the flight number and time of the pick-up. As a result, there was no response, and we had to take a taxi from the airport to the hotel.

I’ve stayed in some pretty low end places and this is one of the worst. Our room had no windows. I’ve never heard of such a thing for a hotel. One of the elevators was broken, we were given half a roll of toilet paper, the carpet was dirty, and there was zero hot water. Yes, this place is conveniently located and sure, it was quiet, but it’s a total rip off. Coffee downstairs in the morning was $9 USD. Our key stopped working and we had to get it reprogrammed. I’ve stayed in better hostels.